Warfordsburg Woman Waives Arraignment

By Chanin Rotz-Mountz

Tiffany

Swope

pleads

not

guilty

NEWS EDITOR

A southern Fulton County woman waived her right to mandatory arraignment Tuesday regarding allegations she sexually assaulted a teenage boy.

Tiffany Nicole Swope of 338 Bards Dairy Lane, Warfordsburg, appeared in Fulton County Court of Common Pleas before President Judge Douglas Herman on one count of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and four counts each of statutory sexual assault and corruption of minors.

Swope, 25, pleaded not guilty to all charges.

She will reappear in court on October 8 for call of the criminal trial list, at which point she can request a trial by judge or jury or accept a plea offer, in the event one has been made by the district attorney’s office. Swope is represented in court proceedings by courtappointed attorney Kristin Diller Nicklas.

On April 16, Pennsylvania State Police in Mc- Connellsburg filed charges against Swope after the victim and his foster mother reportedly had a private conversation about sexual activity. The victim, who was 14 years old at the time of the alleged assaults, disclosed the possibility he could be the father of Swope’s toddler. The details of that particular conversation were shared with Fulton County Services for Children.

According to an affidavit of probable cause filed by arresting officer Trooper Timothy Lear, the victim was interviewed by state police, who learned that the situation began as flirting and progressed to Swope offering foot massages. Swope is accused of entering the boy’s room “uninvited” and touching him inappropriately, charging documents state.

Police said the alleged sexual activity occurred between November 2010 and March 2011 at 2108 Fairview Road, Warfordsburg.